Archive for the ‘Shakti’ Category

“Awake. Seek truth. Stumble. Begin again.” This is the simple yet profound message from Buddha, the man who reached enlightenment and was raised to the rank of an immortal. Hitting comic shops today is Deepak Chopra’s Buddha #1, the comic book adaptation of his New York Times bestseller. Experience the life of the Awakened One as adapted by Joshua Dysart (Violent Messiahs, Swamp Thing, B.P.R.D.) and lavishly illustrated by Harshavardan Kadam.

Also hitting stores today is Dave Stewart’s Zombie Broadway. When a zombie plague ravages New York City leaving only a couple thousand survivors, the government plans to bomb the city (in spite of the humans still living there) to get rid of the infestation. That is, until the mayor realizes that zombies react positively to… show tunes?! Hence, a Broadway musical starring zombies is staged in a last-ditch attempt to bring peace to the city. Will it be a standing ovation or curtains for us all?!

Shekhar Kapur, director of the Oscar-winning Elizabeth and one of Virgin Comics’ Chief Visionaries, will be on CNN: Talk Asia over the weekend to talk about his films, passions, and inspirations. Click here to get the show times or submit questions for him to answer.

A few weeks ago, someone forwarded me a link to a Nick Marino’s and Neal Shyam’s audioshocker podcast in which, amongst other things, they shared their thoughts on some of our books. At best, their reviews could be described as a mixed bag. That said, there was also clearly an intrigue around some of what we were doing and that caught my attention. So I decided to do what any big deal entertainment executive would do, I commented on their site and requested that they guys have me on their show to answer their questions. The good guys that they are, Neal and Nick invited me in to their show and the following link will take you right into our candid conversation about all things Virgin Comics.

Cutting to the chase, the gist of the interview centers on the business of comics and the huge challenges that all of the publishers are facing. In this brave new digital world, selling comics at the comic shop isn’t an easy task and yet it remains the most critical entry point for any publisher trying to establish a real presence in the industry. Sure you can come up with all sorts of dotcomics and slick up your trades for the mass market but first and foremost you have to charm the comic geeks if you hope to survive. In a world crowded by Superheros and Super-Heros, that’s no easy task. And yet, here we are, two years later, kicking and screaming, and hopefully, making our presence felt.

Anyone who’s got a taste of Virgin Comics knows that our books are split into two buckets, our “Indian stuff” and our “celebrity stuff.” Without going into all the detail that the interview does, the summary is that we’re trying to be original. We recognize the unique medium of comics, and how they can be used to incubate original ideas and stories. While we are always respectful of the comic itself, knowing that it’s an artform unto itself, we also know that it’s a great medium to nurture stories that can go on to live on film, tv, as video games, or online. Anyone that’s tracked us at all knows that so far so good here at Virgin. We’ve been able to create some distinctive books and managed to get them in the pipeline with some larger media companies to now evolve them as films, games, etc. That part of the process we don’t really control, though if requested, we’re happy to offer our two cents.

So without further adieu, check out the interview and let us know what you think. Aside from continuing to build out this company, our agenda is also to make the process as transparent as possible. Because, in our humble opinion, it’s not just the stories that we are creating that we hope are interesting and engaging, but the story about building the stories, that may be the most interesting. But that’s just my opinion. Why don’t you be the judge.

A couple of weeks ago we wrote about Virgin Comics titles and creators that are in the running for Eagle Awards in various categories. We’re really excited to announce that due to an overwhelming number of write-ins, Eagle Awards has taken notice and nominated Deepak Chopra’s India Authentic (“INDIA AUTHENTIC” to vote) to the Favourite New Comicbook category.

Nominations close on March 22nd so keep those votes coming in. Remember… even if you don’t see your favorite Virgin Comics title in the pull-down menu, write it in the text box. Let’s keep the Virgin Comics momentum going strong! The shortlist of final nominees will be announced on March 31st.

We’re beyond excited to announce our first-ever crossover in partnership with Top Cow Productions. Two of the most bad-ass women in comics unite when a murder investigation takes NYPD Detective Sara Pezzini, the bearer of the mystical Witchblade, to India. There she crosses paths with Devi, goddess incarnate and protector of Sitapur in part one of this momentous crossover event. If they can survive their initial meeting, the two women will confront a powerful common enemy, and discover that this is not the first time an incarnation of Devi and a bearer of the Witchblade have met.

Issue #1 comes in April from Top Cow, featuring the powerhouse team of Ron Marz (Witchblade, First Born) and Eric Basaldua (The Darkness, Hunter-Killer). Newsarama just posted an exclusive preview. Check it out now!

Look for the other half of the Devi/Witchblade crossover from Virgin Comics, coming soon!

In this issue, James Jensen, the British soldier who became a mystic warrior, and his mysterious ally Trishankulaunch an all-out attack on the stronghold of the Silent Ones in a desperate effort to save Jensen’s son. But even as they breach the outer defenses of the cult’s fortress, Jensen and Trishanku realize that the devious Grand Mistress has sprung a trap that might forever change the very fabric of this world and beyond!

Sadhus do not know love or hate, desire or fear. They are detached from all emotional ties, devoted to a spiritual journey said to unleash unimaginable powers. This is the path James Jensen is fated to tread. But he must tackle his biggest obstacle yet… HIMSELF.